Transfer needle for knitting machines



Feb. 2, 1954 J. SIRMAY 2,667,770

TRANSFER NEEDLE FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Aug. 23, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet l N TOR.

E1 I V Jazz/8 if? I Feb. 2, 1954 SIRMAY 2,667,770

TRANSFER NEEDLE FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Aug. 23 1950 3 Sheets-Sheb 2 Feb 2. 1954 J. SIRMAY 2,667,770

TRANSFER NEEDLE FOR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Aug. 25, 1950 s Shets-Sheet Patented Feb. 2, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TRANSFER NEEDLE FOR KNITTING MACHINES Julius Sirmay, Philadelphia, Pa., assignor to Ordnance Gauge Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application August '23, 1950, Serial No. 180,979

Claims.

The present invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in knitting needles and particularly to improvements in the stitch-trans fer needles of automatic circular knitting machines.

An object of the present invention is to provide new and improved transfer needles for automatic circular knitting machines having a bank of dial-needles and a bank of cylinder-needles operatively co-acting, under certain conditions, to transfer stitches from one bank of needles to the other bank of needles.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a stitch-needle which will permit the free and easy transfer of stitches from a needle in one bank to a needle in another bank without the necessity for racking one bank of needles with respect to the other bankof needles and without the danger of the needles in one bank becoming jammed against or caught on the needles of the other bank.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a stitch-transfer needle which will be supported in the needle guide-groove of the knitting machine along the full length of the groove while yet providing means for spreading the yarn-loop to facilitate the transfer of the stitch from one bank of needles to the other bank of needles without the necessity of racking one bank of needles with respect to the other.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a stitch-transfer needle having lateral projections thereon to facilitate the transfer'of the yarn from one needle to another; said lateral projections permitting a sliding contact between the needles without one needle becoming caught on the other.

Further objects will be apparent by reference to the appended specifications, claims and drawmgs.

For the purpose of illustrating the invention, there are shown in the accompanying drawings forms thereof which are at present preferred, although it is to be understood that the various instrumentalities of which the invention consists can be variously arranged and organized and that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and organizations of the instrunientalities as herein shown and described.

In the accompanying drawings wherein like reference characters indicate like" parts:

Figure 1 represents a perspective view,'on a greatly enlarged scale, of thestitch-receiving end of one embodiment of the transfer needle of the present invention.

Figure 2 represents a side elevational view-of the yarn-spreading bridge of the transfer needle of Figure 1.

Figure 3 represents a bottom plan view of the stitch-transfer needle shown in Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 4 represents a cross-sectional View taken along line l4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 represents a cross-sectional View taken along line 5-5 of Figure 2.

Figure 6 represents an end elevational view of the stitch-transfer needle of Figure 1.

Figure 7 represents a side elevational View of a dial transfer needle and a oo+acting cylinder transfer-needle of the present invention, oper= atively disposed in relation to each other at the beginning of the transfer operation.

Figure 8 represents a top-plan view of the stitch-transfer operation shown in Figure 7.

Figure 9 represents an end elevational view, partly in section, of a cylinder needle and a dial needle, shortly before the. stitch -transfer opera tion moving the yarn from one needle to the other.

Figure lo'represents an end elevational view, partly in section, taken generally along line 9-4 of Figure 7 showing the dial and cylinder needles a short time after theloperation shown in Figure 9 and in the operative relationship disclosed in Figures 7 and 8.

Figure 11 represents an end elevational view, partly in section, of the operative'relationship of the dial and cylinder'needlesa short time after the operation shown in'Figure 10.

Figure 12 represents a perspective view of a second embodiment of the transfer-needle of Y the present invention, viewed from the concave side of the bridge.

Figure 13 represents a side elevational view of the needle of Figure 12 prior to the formation of the bridge.

Figure 14 represents a perspective view ofthe needle of Figures 12 and 13, viewed from the convex side of theb'ridge.

Figure 15 represents a side elevational view of the needle of Figure 14 prior to the formation of the bridge.

Figure 16 represents a cross-sectional view along line iii-l5 of Figure 13.

Figure 1'7 represents a cross-sectional view along line l'l-ll of Figure. 15.

. Figure 18 represents :a: cross sectlonal view along line 18-48 of Figure 14.

Figure 19 represents. a cross-sectional view along line Iii-49 of Figure 12.

Figure 20 represents a fragmentary perspective 3 view of the bridge of another embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 21 represents a cross-sectional view on line 2|--2| of Figure 20.

In the operation of automatic circular knitting machines, the use of stitch-transfer needles (in the bank of dial needles and in the bank of cylinder needles) having lateral projections adapted to facilitate the transfer of yarn from one bank of needles to the other bank of needles is shown in the art. However, the needles of the prior art have been unsatisfactory inasmuch as the strength of these needles was sacrificed in producing the cam-like yarn-spreading projection extending across the side of the needle and by necessitating the use of a guide-groove for the needles in both the cylinder and dial banks which did not support the body of the needle along the entire length of the groove.

The needle of the present invention is adapted to facilitate the transfer of stitches from one bank to the other without racking, while being supported along the entire length of the guide-groove, and has a cam-like lateral projection adapted to spread the yarn-loop to permit the entry of a co-acting needle into said loop and transfer the stitch therefrom. Moreover, the needle of the present invention is adapted to permit another needle to slide past without becom-- ing jammed or interlocked against the lateral projections thereof; all without the necessity of racking the needles in one bank with respect to the needles in the other bank.

The transfer needle l5 of the present invention has a body portion l6 having a thickness l1 and a width I8 and terminates at one end in a reduced portion I9 and a yarn-receiving hook To the rear of the hook 20 is the laterally offset camming-portion or bridge 2|, formed integrally with the body portion l6 and interconnected therewith at the ends 22 and 23.

The maximum lateral projection of the bridge 2| is indicated by the arrows 24 and is sufficient (as is shown particularly in Figure 8) to permit the hook of a stitch-receiving needle 25 to pass upwardly between the side surface 26 of the bodyportion l6 and the inner concave surface 2'! of the bridge 2|, and also to spread the yarn 23 so that the stitch-receiving needle 25 easily may engage the loop of the yarn which is caught on the bridge 2| (see Figures '7 and 8) The bridge 2| may be formed by pressing the needle between suitable dies (such as coining dies, or the like)' to shear the body-portion along lines 29, 3i], and 3| and to push the bridge laterally outward from the side of the body portion.

The bridge 2|, intermediate its ends 22 and 23 is formed with an abutment 32 disposed general- 1y at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the needle, to provide a stitch-receiving surface or shoulder to catch the yarn during the knitting operation, as is shown particularly in Figures 7 and 8. Directly forward of the abutment 32 on the bridge 2| a slight hump 33' may be formed corner of the body-portion it which interconnects the bottom edge 35 and the side face 25 is an inclined camming surface 31, cut in the body-portion It as by milling or grinding or the like. The camming surface 31 reduces the thickness of the bottom edge 35 enough to guide the hook 38 of a stitch-receiving needle (moving in alignment therewith, as is shown in Figure 9) against and to the side-face 26, without racking, to prevent the needles from becoming jammed together and bent out of shape.

A continued move of the stitch-receiving needle 25 with respect to the stitch-transfer needle l5 brings the hook-portion 38 of the stitch-receiving needle between the face 26 of the body-portion |5 and the face 21 of the bridge 2| (see Figure 7). Thereafter, as the stitch-transfer needle |-5 moves forwardly in the direction of the arrow 39, the stitch-receiving needle 25 engages the loop 28 of the yarn, as at 45 in Figure '7.

The relative lateral position of the two needles at this stage of the stitch-transfer is shown in Figure 10.

So that the stitch-receiving needle 25 may securely engage the. loop 28 of the yarn in the hook-portion 38 thereof, the needle 25 may move upwardly in the direction of the arrow M (with respect to the stitch-transfer needle l5).

A camming surface 42 in the rear portion of the bridge 2| is adapted to guide the hook 38 of the stitch-receiving needle 25 during the rearward movement of the needle; i. e., in the opposite direction from the arrow 39 toward the outer side-surface 43 of the bridge 2|.

The camming of the needle '25 by the surface 3? and the surface 42 springs the stitch-receiving needle 25 slightly, as is shown in Figure 11, and permits the by-passing of the needles without the necessity for racking one bank of needles with respect to the other bank of needles.

When the stitch-transfer needle I5 is retracted (in the direction opposite to that of the arrow 39) the elevated stitch-receiving needle 25 slides past the bridge 2| and the hook 38 of the needle 25 securely engages the loop 28 of the yarn where it rests in the V-shaped groove 34.

To enable the inclined stitch-receiving needle 25 freely to pass the corner 44 of the bridge 2|, an additional camming or inclined surface 45 is provided in the outer surface 43 of the bridge 2|. As the needle |-5 moves rearwardly and the needle 25 slides along the bridge 2|, the hook 38 does not strike the corner 44, whereby to permit proper transfer of the stitch from one needle to the other without damage to said needles.

Thereafter, the stitch-transfer needle and the stitch-receiving needle may be fully retracted in their respective guide-grooves, to complete the transfer of the yarn 28 from one needle to the other.

With the needle of the present invention it is unnecessary to disconnect either the end 22' or the end 23 of the bridge 2| from the body portion l6 of the needle and, moreover, it is unnecessary to limit the maximumrise of the needle 25 with respect to the needle l5, as has been heretofore the case (heretofore said stitch-receiving needle 25 having a maximum rise limited by the position of the edge 3| of the bridge 2|). When using the needle of the present inventionithe hook-portion 38 of the stitch-receiving needle may rise upwardly as far as is necessary adequately to engage the yarn 28-being generally somewhat above the V-shaped groove 34.

Moreover, the inclined camming surfaces 31,

42 and 65 spring the stitch-receiving needle 25 to the side of the stitch-transfer needle l-withont racking or otherwise shifting the needles and without the danger of one needle striking the other and damaging the same.

It is to be understood that the camming surfaces 3142, and :35 may be of such size and angularity as adequately to permit the lay-passing of the needle 25 with respect to the needle I5.

Moreover, the V-shaped groove between the abutment 32 and the hump 33 on the bridge 21 retains the loop of yarn 28 on the needle i 5 until it is firmly dislodged therefrom by the hook zt of the needle 25.

The second embodiment of the transfer-needle of the present invention, shown in Figures 12 to 19 inclusive, is similar to the embodiment disclosed in Figures 1 to 11 inclusive except for the camming-surfaces formed on the bridge t6.

One camming surface il is formed in the bodyportion 45 prior to the formation of the bridge tit-i. e. prior to the formation of the bridge 45 by pressing laterally the material of the bridge with respect to the body-portion it. This is shown particularly in Figures 13 and 16. The camming portion 4'! may be formed by bringing the rotating edge of a hemi-spherical or frustoconical milling cutter or grindingwheel against the side 49 of the body-portion l6 and cutting a groove therein along the line 48, as shown in Figures 13 and 16, with the point of deepest penetration of the cutting wheel passing through the needle substantially to the other surface '26 of the body-portion I6.

Thus, there is formed an inclined surface 61 in the body-portion [6 between the arrows 5i and generally vertically above the inclined camming surface 31, heretofore described.

On the other side of the needle 15 (i. e., in the face 26 thereof) another camrning surface 5! is cut, prior to the formation of the bridge 46, in substantially the same manner as the camming surface 41.

After the grooves 41 and 5! have been formed in the opposed surfaces 49 and 26 respectively, the bridge t6 may be pressed laterally from the plane of the body-portion l6 by shearing along the lines A8 and 52 and pressing the bridge A6 laterally to one side of the plane of the body member !6.

The camming surface ll then is disposed on re concave side of the lower edge of the bridge 46 and (as is shown in Figure 18).

The camming surface 4! guides the hook 38 of the needle 25 into the space between the concave surface 2"! of the bridge ll; and the side-surface 26 of the needle i5 where it can engage to loop of yarn 28.

Thereafter, when the needle is moved ahead and the needle 25 rises from the position shown in the dash-dot line indicated at it} in Figure '7, the needle 25 may be guided by the inclined surface 5! outwardly to the convex side of the bridge 46, as is shown in Figure 11.

Thus, the camming surfaces ll and Bi may be cut in the body-portion i8 (and particularly in the bridge portion t6) prior to the formation of the bridge 36.

The position and depth of the grooves which form the inclined camming surfaces if and 5! may, of course, be selected so that, after the bridge 48 is formed in the needle, the inclined camming surfaces 47 and 5| will be properly disposed with respect to the edges GB and 52, so that a needle coming into juxtaposition with the 8: transfer-needle l5, the area of the bridge 45. will bepguided properly into position without striking or becoming jammed against the bodyportion 15 or the bridge 46 and permit easy, trouble-free passing of the co-acting needles.

In other respects, the needle shown in the embodiment of Figures 12 to 19 inclusive is similar to the needle described with respect to Figures 1 to 11 inclusive.

The embodiment shown in Figures 20 and 21 is generally similar to the embodiment shown in Figures 12 to 19 inclusive, with the exception that the camming surface ii is omitted. During the formation of the bridge 46 (as by stamping, pressing, or forming in a coining die) the rear portion 69 of the bridge 46 (i. e. that portion of the bridge to the rear of the shoulder 32) is twisted or inclined, as is shown particularly in Figure 21. Thus, the rear portion of the bridge is twisted so that the outer surface 6| is inclined outwardly and upwardly (from the bottom edge 6?. to the top edge 63) so that the entire side-surface El of the rear portion 60 presents an outwardly and upwardly inclined camming surface in the convex side of the bridge 66. Thus, the side-surface 6| provides an inclined camming surface similar to the cainming surface 5| in the embodiment of the needle shown in Figures 12 to 19 inclusive.

Thus, a camming surface, is provided in the convex side of the bridge without reducing the strength of the bridge or the needle by grinding or milling a groove into the body-portion of the needle. In addition, if desired, the cross-sectional area of the rear portion 5B of the bridge 46. where it joins the body-portion 56 of the needle, may be increased in size so as to provide a sturdier intersection between the bridge and the bodyportion whereby to permit the twisting of the rear portion 69 without breaking the bridge loose from the body-portion It at. the rear merger point or juncture zone.

In other respects, the needle of the embodiment shown in Figures 20 and 21 is similar to the needle shown in Figures 12 to 19 inclusive.

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and it is therefore desired that the present embodiments be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, reference being had to the appended claims rather than to the foregoing description to indicate the scope of the invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent the following:

1. A stitch-transfer knitting-needle for use in automatic knitting machines, said knittingneedle having a hook and a body-portion, a bridge projecting laterally from one side-surface of body-portion and being integrally united therewith at its ends and spaced therefrom in the intermediate zone, said; bridge having an abutment disposed at an angle to the longitudinal axis of said needle whereby to provide a yarn-retaining shoulder on said bridge, at least one inclined earnming surface formed in the outer side of said bridge, and an inclined camming surface formed in the body-portion of said needle generally beneath said bridge.

2. A stitoh-transfer lznitting needle for use in automatic knitting machines, said knittingneedle having a hook and a body-portion, a bridge projecting laterally'from the upper half of one side-surface of said body-portion and being integrally united therewith at its ends'and spaced therefrom in-the intermediate zone, said bridge having an abutment disposed at an angle to the longitudinal axis of said needle whereby to provide a yarn-retaining shoulder on said bridge, at least one inclined camming surface formed in the outer side of said bridge, and an inclined camming surface formed in the body-portion of said needle generally beneath said bridge.

3. A stitch-transfer knitting-needle for use in automatic knitting machines, said knitting-needle having a hook and a body-portion, a bridge projecting laterally from one side-surface of said body-portion and being integrally united therewith at its ends and spaced therefrom in the intermediate zone, the rear end of said bridge integrally connected to said body-portion above the point of connection of the front end of said bridge to said body-portion, said bridge having an abutment disposed at an angle to the longitudinal axis L of said needle whereby to provide a yarn-retaining shoulder on said bridge, at least one inclined camming surface formed in the outer side of said bridge, and an inclined camming surface formed in the body-portion of said needle generally beneath said bridge.

4. A stitch-transfer knitting-needle for use in automatic knitting machines, said knitting-needle having a hook and a body-portion, a bridge proting laterally from one side-surface of said body-portion and being integrally united therewith at its ends and spaced therefrom in the intermediate zone, said bridge having an abutment disposed at an angle to the longitudinal xis of said needle and having a raised portion jecting laterally from one side-surface of said body-portion and being integrally united therewith at its ends and spaced therefrom in the intermediate zone, said bridge having an abutment disposed at an angle to the longitudinal axis of said needle whereby to provide a yarn-retaining shoulder on said bridge, at least one inclined canisurface formed in the outer side of bridge, an inclined camming surface formed on the inner side of said bridge, and an inclined camming surface in the body-portion of said needle generally beneath said bridge.

6. A stitch-transfer knitting-needle for use in automatic knitting machines, said knitting needle having a hook and a body-portion, a bridge projecting laterally from one side-surface of said body-portion and being integrally united therewith at its ends and spaced therefrom in the intermediate zone, said bridge having an abutment disposed at an angle to the longitudinal axis of said needle whereby to provide a yarn-retaining shoulder on said bridge, at least one inclined camming surface formed in the outer side of said bridge, and an inclined camming surface formed in the body-portion of said needle generally beneath said bridge, the inclined camming surface on said bridge adapted toguide a co-acting stitch-receiving needle past said bridge during the stitch-transfer operation.

'7. A stitch-transfer knitting-needle for use in automatic knitting machines, said knitting-needle having a hook and a body-portion, a bridge projecting laterally from one side-surface of said body-portion and being integrally united therewith at its ends and spaced therefrom in the intermediate zone, said bridge having an abutment disposed at an angle to the longitudinal axis of said needle whereby to provide a yarn-retaining shoulder on said bridge, at least one inclined camming surface formed in the outer side of said bridge, and an inclined camming surface formed in the body-portion of said needle generally beneath said bridge, said bridge providing a yarnloop-spreading projection of sufficient lateral dimension to permit the hook of a stitch-receiving needle to enter a yarn-loop engaged on said abutment and to remove the yarn-loop from said transfer-needle.

8. A stitch-transfer knitting-needle for use in automatic knitting machines, said knittingneedle having a hook and a body-portion, a bridge projecting laterally from one side-surface of said body-portion and being integrally united therewith at its ends and spaced therefrom in the intermediate zone, said bridge havin an abutment disposed at an angle to the longitudinal axis of said needle whereby to provide a yarnretaining shoulder on said bridge, at least one inclined cammin surface formed in the outer side of said bridge behind said abutment, and an inclined camming surface formed in the bodyportion of said needle generally beneath said bridge.

9. A stitch-transfer knitting-needle for use in automatic knitting machines, said knittingneedle having a hook and a body-portion, a bowed bridge projecting laterally from one sidesurface of said body-portion and being integrally united therewith at its ends and spaced therefrom in the intermediate zone, said bridge having an abutment disposed at an angle to the longitudinal axis of said bridge, at least one in clined camming surface formed in the outer side of said bridge, and an inclined camming surface formed in the body-portion of said needle generally beneath said bridge.

10. A stitch-transfer knitting needle for use in automatic knitting machines, said knittingneedle having a hook and a body-portion, a concave-convex bridge projecting laterally from one side-surface of said body-portion and bein integrally united therewith at its ends and spaced therefrom in the intermediate zone, said bridge having an abutment disposed at an angle to the longitudinal axis of said needle whereby to provide a yarn-retaining shoulder on said bridge, at least one inclined camming surface formed in the convex side of said bridge, and an inclined cammin surface formed in the body-portion of said needle generally beneath said bridge.

11. A stitch-transfer knitting-needle for use in automatic knitting machines, said knittingneedle having a hook and a body-portion, a bridge projecting laterally from one side-surface of said -portion and being integrally united therewith at its ends and spaced therefrom in the intermediate zone, said bridge having an abutment disposed transversely to the longitudinal axis of said needle whereby to provide a yarn-retaining shoulder on said bridge, at least one inclined camming surface formed in the outer side of said bridge, and an inclined camming surface formed in the body-portion of said needle generally beneath said bridge. 7

12. A stitch-transfer knitting-needle for use in automatic knitting machines, said knittingneedle having a hook and a body-portion, a bridge projecting laterally from one side-surface of said body-portion and being integrally united therewith at its ends and spaced therefrom in the intermediate zone, the inner surface of said bridge being spaced laterally at least the thickness of on needle from the side-surface of said bodyportion adjacent said bridge, said bridge having an abutment disposed at an angle to the longitudinal axis of said needle whereby to provide a yarn-retaining shoulder on said bridge, at least one inclined camming surface formed in the outer side of said bridge, and an inclined camming surface formed in the body-portion of said needle generally beneath said bridge.

13. A stitch-transfer knitting-needle for use in automatic knitting machines, said knittingneedle having a hook and a body-portion, a bridge projecting laterally from one side-surface of said body-portion and being integrally united therewith at its ends and spaced therefrom in the intermediate zone, said bridge having an abutment disposed at an angle to the longitudinal axis of said needle whereby to provide a yarn-retaining shoulder on said bridge, at least one inclined camming surface formed in the outer side of said bridge, and an inclined camming surface formed in the body-portion of said needle generally be neath said bridge, said bridge behind said abutment being twisted with the outer surface thereof being disposed at an angle to the side-surface of said body-portion to form said inclined camming surface in the outer side of said bridge.

14. A stitch-transfer knitting-needle for use in automatic knitting machines, said knittingneedle having a hook and a body-portion, a bridge projecting laterally from one side-surface of said body-portion and being integrally united therewith at its ends and spaced therefrom in the intermediate zone, said bridge having an abutment disposed at an angle to the longitudinal axis of said needle whereby to provide a yarn-retaining shoulder on said bridge, at least one inclined camming surface formed in the outer side of said bridge, and an inclined camming surface formed in the body-portion of said needle generally beneath said bridge, said bridge behind said abutment being twisted about an axis substantially parallel with the longitudinal axis of said needle and with the outer surface thereof being disposed at an angle to the side-surface of said body-portion to form said inclined camming surface in the outer side of said bridge.

15. A stitch-transfer knitting-needle for use in automatic knitting machines, said knittingneedle having a hook and a body-portion, a bridge projecting laterally from one side-surface of said body-portion and being integrally united therewith at its ends and spaced therefrom in the intermediate zone, said bridge having an abutment disposed at an angle to the longitudinal axis of said needle whereby to provide a yarn-retaining shoulder on said bridge, at least one inclined camming surface formed in the outer side of said bridge, and an inclined camming surface formed in the body-portion of said needle generally beneath said bridge, the upper edge of said bridge behind said abutment being twisted outwardly and being disposed at an angle to the side-surface of said body-portion and with the outer surface of said bridge also disposed at an angle to the side-surface of said body-portion to form the inclined camming surface in the outer side of said bridge.

JULIUS SIRMAY.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Zeruneith Mar. 11, 1952 

